Paradise Gardens is completely run by volunteers. We are always looking for new volunteers, especially longer term volunteers (who we offer a place to live on-site!). We’ve recently posted on HelpX, a network of volunteer opportunities and volunteers all around the world. They have already sent us several volunteers and we’ve only been up for 3 weeks! If you’re looking to volunteer they also have loads of other opportunities you can browse.

One of the hostels in town, Mamallenas, also regularly sends us volunteers. In fact all three of our current volunteers living on site came through Mamallenas. They also sponsor our capuchin monkeys (Monty, Billy and Manolo) and send us visitors almost everyday!

Without volunteers Paradise Gardens Wildlife Rescue would cease to function. Volunteers feed and care for the animals, keep the park clean and well maintained, greet visitors, write this blog, treat injured or sick animals, build new shelters for animals, rehabilitate abused animals. In short, volunteers do it all.

If you are interested in volunteering here, get in touch! Email us at paradisegardensboquete@gmail.com or just stop by if you are in Boquete, we are located on Volcancito Road, just past Fresas Mary.

As you know, if you have seen our “About us” page, Paradise Gardens is completely run by volunteers. I am a volunteer. I sweep up the gardens in the morning and update the blog at night. I help feed the animals, give tours, chat with the birds, scratch Sam’s head and Lottie’s back. But do you know how many volunteers it takes to run this place? At least four. Jen is here all the time, she’s the resident volunteer. She’s the manager. Then there are usually 2-4 other people staying here and volunteering 40+ hours a week. Some of us (me!) are travelers who found this place and loved it so we stuck around. Some people come to Panama looking just to volunteer. Some are soon-to-be vets or animal management professionals or students with a love for animals. Some people stay for one month, some stay for six. And then there are the daily volunteers who stay in town, whether they are travelers or locals or expats, living here or just staying at Mamallena’s or studying spanish at the two spanish schools here. And then there are several long term volunteers who live here and have been volunteering here for years. They come once or twice a week and are a wealth of knowledge about the place and the animals.

So basically I’m saying… Paradise Gardens needs volunteers. We need you! If you’re hanging around Boquete, free time on your hands and want to help some animals, come volunteer here! If you need a place to stay, we can help you out. If you have skills, we can use them. If you have no money, that’s ok, it’s free to volunteer here. Call or email or just come by! We want you!

Volunteers painted this sign at the entryway to Paradise Gardens Wildlife Rescue

Paradise Gardens is a group of animal loving volunteers whose mission is to rescue, provide sanctuary for, and if possible, ultimately release back into the wild , abandoned, abused, and injured animals. By involving and educating the community, Paradise Gardens works to raise awareness of the tremendous effort it takes to care for animals that have been failed by humans, in such ways as illegal trade, deforestation, cruelty and ignorance on the part of humans.

Our vision is to create a world where the animals we share it with are treated with respect and understanding and where habitat is preserved to ensure the indefinite survival of these creatures. In creating such a world, we hope the same principles will carry over into the way humans treat each other.